Green Bag Special

In a previous post, I mentioned an inedible green that ruined our mandarin orange salad.  It turns out that was radicchio.  After our unfortunate first encounter, I decided to try it again–cooked.  Several things I read mentioned it being popular in Italy, added to pasta dishes.  Our CSA sends out a weekly newsletter, which included an interesting-sounding radicchio recipe.  So, we decided to give it a shot.  The result: 6 thumbs up!  Of course, I’m not sure we’ve fallen in love with radicchio itself, as I think the melted mozzarella and the heavy cream had something to do with its pleasantness.  Truly, in this dish, the radicchio’s bitterness is a nice complement to the rest of the flavors.

Delicious Cheesy Goodness

Here is the recipe:

BAKED RADICCHIO, ENDIVE AND MOZZARELLA PASTA
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 medium white onion, small dice (about 1 cup)
7 medium Roma tomatoes (about 2 pounds), cored and coarsely chopped
1 head radicchio (about 2 cups), ends trimmed and sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
1 head belgian endive (about 2 cups), ends trimmed and sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pound penne rigate or ziti pasta
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, small dice (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the upper third. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When it foams, add garlic and onion, season well with salt, and cook until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and let simmer until slightly reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes. Add radicchio and cream and cook until radicchio is wilted, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in the salted water for about half the time recommended on the packaging and drain. (Do not rinse.) Set aside.
4. Once the sauce has finished simmering, combine it with the half-cooked pasta and mix until the pasta is evenly coated. Place the pasta mixture in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish and sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmigiano over top. Place in the oven and bake until the mixture is bubbling, the pasta is al dente, and the top is golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Note:  The sauce and the pasta can be prepared up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated in separate containers. To assemble, heat the oven, pick up the recipe at step 4, and bake the mixture until it is heated through and golden brown (which may take a little longer than 20 minutes).

This was  a nice change of pace to the salads we’ve been eating lately!  I’m so glad the CSA shared this recipe.  It’ll go in my recipe book as one to eat again, especially if we have more radicchio in our green bag special.

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